Chapter 3

{-Edward-}

When Ed got off the train at the central station he headed straight for the Hughes' apartment. Mustang told him to meet everyone there. When Ed reached the door to the apartment he heard screams from neither Mei, nor Al, but from Mustang. Edward skipped the formalities and burst into the apartment to a frightening scene.

Alphonse was propped up against a wall with his newborn baby held tightly to his chest. There was a transmutation circle drawn on the floor of the guest bedroom and Mei was crawling toward Al and the baby. She was covered in blood. Al's blood. There was a trail of it from the center of the circle to where Al's right leg should have been. He had clearly been coughing up blood too because it was all over his face and ran down his neck onto his shirt. Mei was clearly too weak to make it to Al and had fallen into the pool of blood in the circle. Not only was the baby crying, but the Führer of Amestris was screaming hysterically.

"What the hell were you thinking!? You could have gotten both of yourselves killed and now this?! You're a damn fool Alphonse Elric!"

"Don't you dare call my brother a fool." Ed said quietly from the doorway.

Al looked up at his brother with so much sadness in his eyes it was almost unbearable. Even though Edward was angry beyond belief, he understood why Al did what he did.

"Al isn't a fool. I'm the one who's the fool. He learned from the best." Ed sat down his briefcase and headed over to Al. He ripped his pant leg off at the stub and wrapped it up tightly to stop the bleeding. "Dr. Knox, do you think you could grab some ice?"

"Sure thing Ed."

"You got here awful quick Fullmetal. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow"

"I'm glad I got here when I did." Edward shot Mustang a glare. "All of you buffoons were just standing around! Couldn't you see that my brother was bleeding to death? Not only that, but that his wife who shouldn't even be out of bed was laying in her husband's blood trying to crawl to him!? And you have the nerve to sit here and call Al a fool! You damned idiot!" Ed punched Roy Mustang right in the face. If he had been any younger he would have gotten so much more gratification out of it, but this was different. Ed's wrath was justified this time.

Ed looked over to Mei. The poor girl looked as though she was near death, but Ed had to ask for her help.

"Mei?"

"Yes Ed?"

"If I brought you over to Al, do you think you could use your Alkahestry to help him?"

"I can try yes."

Ed knew that Mustang could probably seal up Al's wound with his flame alchemy but he didn't want any help from him right now. Ed moved over to help Mei to Al just as Dr. Knox came into the room with the ice Ed had requested.

"Here."

"Thanks Dr. Knox. You can go on home. We've got it covered from here. I'll make sure that your fees get taken care of. Thanks for everything."

"I'm not leaving until I make sure they're ok. And I couldn't possibly ask you to pay me for this Ed. I owe you two way too much for that."

"What ever you say Doc."

Ed turned his attention back to Al and Mei. Mei drew a hasty transmutation circle to help heal Al's stump and inner organs.

"You can't do the transmutation with Jude in my arms. I'm afraid I'll drop him." Al was holding back tears. Though, Ed couldn't tell if they were from pain, sadness, or joy.

"Lieutenant? Can you take the baby to Gracia? He needs cleaned up."

"Sure Ed." Al handed tiny Jude to Riza and she walked out of the room.

Ed looked around and realized that the guest room had become really crowded. He didn't want anyone else in the room aside from the three of them. Not meaning to sound as cross as he did Ed told everyone to get out.

"Alright Al, this is gonna suck pretty bad. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

Edward applied the ice gently at first. He waited to make sure Mei was ready before he applied full force. Ed knew from experience that pain was easier to manage all at once rather than in stages so as soon as Mei started transmuting he would put much more pressure on Al's leg.

"Ready Mei?"

"Yes."

"Ok, on three."

"One, two, THREE!"

Ed pushed the ice against Al's leg with full force as Mei transmuted his living tissue inside and out. Ed blocked out Al's screams of agony and had to use all his willpower to not yell at Mei to stop. This was Al's decision. He knew that there would be consequences, all Ed could think about was how to stop Al's bleeding.

As soon as Mei was done Ed called Dr. Knox into the room to help Mei to the bed. Ed went to pick up his brother, but Al refused.

"No. I want to walk."

"But Al..."

"I just need help. I don't want to be carried."

Ed was surprised at Al's strength. Regaining his body, becoming a father and a State Alchemist, among other things, had made his little brother grow more than Ed was often able to accept. When Ed had gotten Al to the couch he sat down in the chair across from him. Everyone had gone back into the guest room to be with Mei and the baby.

Ed didn't want to ask, but he knew he had to.

"Tell me everything."

"So it was just like when Julia saved Ashley. Except, you didn't have a stone so Truth was more brutal." Ed sat back in the chair and pondered.

"Pretty much." Al responded weakly.

"But Truth gave you a choice?"

"Not exactly..."

"I'm just amazed that he let you stand there and talk to him like that."

"He seemed angry. I'm guessing that no one's ever defied him like that."

"The fact that he got angry leads me to believe that he's been lying this whole time. Maybe there really is a way to bypass equivalent exchange."

"Maybe." Just then, Al looked shocked. As if he had remembered something of great importance, "I almost forgot! Truth said something about giving you your alchemy back!"

"What? I thought that was impossible!"

"Me too. But then Truth said that after all we've been through He thought we would have learned by now that there are no impossibilities in this world."

"But I gave up my alchemy to get you back Al. What if I lose you and there's no way of getting you back next time?"

"I don't know, but don't you think it would be worth a try?"

"I'm not sure Al. Let me think about it ok?"

"But Ed! Being a state Alchemist without being able to perform Alchemy is gonna make you look bad now that you've come back to central. Everyone will be expecting the great Edward Elric, state Alchemist to start doing his miracles again."

"Just let me think about it ok Al? Please."

The fact that his brother was pleading with him made Al stop asking questions. Suddenly he felt completely exhausted. All this talking had almost made him forget the horror he just went through.

"You get some rest ok, Brother?" Ed looked worried. It was an expression that didn't belong on his face.

"Ok, Brother."

"You'll need your strength for when we go back to Resembool. Den and Jude will keep you plenty busy."

"Yeah. I guess you're right. Keep any eye on them for me ok?"

"No problem. Get some rest."

Al didn't even hear Ed finish his sentence. He was already fast asleep.

Edward got up from his seat and went in to check on Mei and the baby.

"How are you two doing?" Ed asked.

"I'm still pretty weak but Jude is alright."

"Ah so that's what you decided to name him."

"Yes. Jude Hohenheim Elric."

"That's quite a mouthful don't you think?" Ed chuckled. Trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes, but Al and I are quite fond of it. We both loved your father very much. Even though I didn't get to spend much time with him before..."

"Yeah. I know. He was a decent human being. I guess I can give him that."

"So you still haven't forgiven him then?"

"No. I don't know if I'll ever be able to."

With that, Ed turned and left the room. He wanted to stay with Mei and Jude, but he was needed elsewhere.

Ed's mind was swimming with everything that Al had just told him. He wasn't even sure where to begin. As he was trying to sort it all out he had managed to wander into the kitchen where Dr. Knox and Roy were standing and talking. The Führer's face was pretty red and swollen, he had a bag of frozen peas pressed against the place where Ed had punched him. Roy gave Ed a look to kill, but Dr. Knox was calm and collected so Ed knew that Roy would get over it.

"I should have you court marshaled for this." Roy said to Ed.

"Yeah well, if I'd still had my automail arm you probably wouldn't be able to talk anyway. So you're lucky I went easy on ya." Ed smirked at Roy.

"Fullmetal..."

"Easy now Roy. You don't want to kill off your most brilliant state Alchemist now do you?" Dr. Knox put a hand on Roy's shoulder trying to calm him down, but this only instigated the Führer even more.

"What good is he anyway? He can't even perform alchemy anymore."

Ed spun on his heals and looked straight into the eyes of his leader, "What good would you have been without the help of Dr. Marco? You'd still be blind as a bat. Oh wait! You still are." It was Roy's turn to punch Ed this time, but just like Roy, Ed just kept on going.

"You were too damned blind to realize that my brother needed help."

"Your brother wasn't my top priority Fullmetal."

"Oh yeah, then why did you come all the way over here?!"

"I was paying a visit to the Hughes's I do it all the time!"

"Only on the premise that Al would be here!"

"That's not true!"

"Then what is Truth?!" at this, both of them were completely still. You could have heard a pin drop between them.

Ed backed down and turned around to be greeted by everyone staring at them in disbelief. The most painful looks of all were the ones on Gracia's and Riza's faces.

"You two have the audacity to start a fist fight in this house?" Gracia's voice was stern but wobbly as she tried to hold back tears.

"Answer me!"

"We're sorry Gracia." Roy and Ed said in unison.

Riza and Gracia walked up to the two of them and in unison slapped them both across the face.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" They said.

Ed looked down at the floor and said nothing. He hadn't meant to start a fight, but Mustang just provoked him so badly. He could have beaten him to a bloody pulp if time had allowed.

"I'm sorry for my behavior Miss Gracia." Ed said solemnly, "I acted like a child and in your home no less."

"I'm sorry too. I guess we're both under quite a bit of pressure right now."

"That's not an excuse Roy." Gracia gave him a stern look.

"I know it's not, but it is Truth."